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| Ragusa and the Iblei region |
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The Iblei Mountains are incredibly interesting for their magnificent deep river gorges carved out on the karst limestone plateau with sheer rock walls and known locally as cave. The most important of these spectacular geological formations Pantalica and Cava d'lspica were once prehistoric settlements and some were used as burial places, giving rise to famous necropolises.
On southerner coast we find Camarina the ruins of the ancient city settled by Syracuse in 598 BC.
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Pantalica
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Pantalica Archaeological Site
The site of Pantalica, identified as the ancient Hybla (viii c BC), has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. The area is an upland plateau, comprised within the two deep gorges of the Anapo River and the Cavagrande river (which becomes Calcinara in its final section) with only one means of access (the saddle of Filiporto, to the west) and it was naturally defensible.
More than 5,000 burial chambers of five necropolises (xiii-xi century BC - vii century BC) honeycomb the steep limestone cliffs walls. The original town was probably destroyed by the Syracuse (vii century BC); in medieval times the Byzantines settled small communities in rock-hewn dwellings and probably the site continued to be occupied during the Arab and Norman periods before being completely abandoned until the beginning of the xx century AD when the archaeologist Paolo Orsi began excavating.
From the small town of Ferla, after 9km, stop and park at Sella di Filiporto (yellow sign), the ancient gateway to the town, remains of the fortification trench can still be seen. From here, a path runs along the southern edge of the upland plateau, looking back, nestling within a broad rock amphitheatre the Filiporto necropolis can be seen. With splendid views over the Anapo gorge below, the path continues down to a Byzantine settlement with rectangular rock-hewn dwellings, and to the Oratory of San Micidiario. After about 1km, turn left for the anaktoron or Prince Palace (also accessible by car), the remains of a megalithic construction with clear Mycenaean influences.
Pantalica |
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Cava d’Ispica Archaeological Site
Situated between Ispica and Modica Cava d’Ispica, a great fissure some 13km long, is stacked with abandoned troglodyte dwellings, small sanctuaries and necropolises. Inhabited from Neolithic times, the inhabitants of the gorge have adapted the hollows formed by karst phenomena. These dwellings exhibit continuous traces of occupants up to the beginning of the 19th century. In Byzantine times Christianity made its appearance in this area: the population of the Cava were Christians persecuted as a result of the Muslim invasions. Troglodyte chapels and sanctuaries were excavated in the bare rock and decorated with images of saints. Unfortunately frescos have almost entirely disappeared. The northern section of the gorge is called Cava d’Ispica. The second area, known as the Parco della Forza, is located on the other end of the gorge. The entire valley floor can be visited in one single long walk for a whole day.
Cava d’Ispica Here many cave dwellings exist, excavated into the rock often on several levels, like in the so called ‘Palazzieddu’ (small palace), ‘Castello’ (castle) ‘Grotte Cadute ‘ (fallen grottos) with corridors, military trenches, stairways carved in the bare rock. Holes in the ceiling and steps cut in the walls below enabled the residents to move from one level to another with the aid of poles and ropes that could be pulled up in times of danger.
The other great complex is the Larderia, which consists of a paleo-Christian catacomb (i century BC) lined with an impressive number of burial chambers (464) one of the largest cemeteries in Sicily. The catacombs are full of burial niches, simple arcosolia and polysomes; ‘tegerium’ style tombs (canopy) and ground tombs.
Opposite the entrance to the fenced area, on the far side of the main road, another road leads to the rock-hewn small chapel of 'San Nicola'. Today only some fragments remain of the frescoes that originally must have covered all walls, in which you can recognise San Nicola and a ‘Madonna with child’.
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Cava d'Ispica
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Driving up the main road to the first turning on the left we arrive in the Baravitalla area. On the plateau, now scattered with dry-stone walls, a path leads left to an area with other points of interest (difficult to find): the Tomb of the Prince has a double front entrance with pilasters.
Cava d'Ispica |
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Parco della Forza located at Ispica. This, one of the earliest areas of settlement, has been occupied since Neolithic times and abandoned only in the 1950s. During the Middle Ages the plateau above the gorge was fortified with a citadel. This was raised around the so-called Palazzo Marchionale The small fortress contained several churches including the Annunziata which has 26 graves inlaid into its floor. The cave known as the Scuderia, so called because it accommodated stables in medieval times, the Centoscale, (one hundred steps), a long stairway cut into the rock which descends 60m at an angle of 45° into the side of the hill to emerge on a level with the valley floor, below the riverbed. Outside the actual park stands on the bottom floor of the cava the church of Santa Maria della Cava, a little rock-hewn church containing fragments of frescos.
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Parco della Forza
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The ruins of Camarina
Settled by the Syracuse in 598 B.C and destroyed several times in its vain attempts to gain independence, the ancient city of Camarina was definitively plundered by the Romans in 258 BC. Little remains of the ancient city only parts of the original town walls and a large tower. There are some interesting ruins of Hellenistic houses. Visitors today can also observe the ruins of the walls that ringed the Athenaion, the temple to Athena (v century). The artefacts found in the area are displayed in the Archaeological Museum of Ragusa and Syracuse.
Camarina |
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